The invention relates to a steering wheel having a steering wheel hollow which is fastened by its base to a steering column and in which an airbag, which inflates in the event of a vehicle impact, is accommodated and from its casing spokes lead to a steering wheel rim which, with respect to the steering wheel hollow, is offset axially toward the vehicle interior.
Steering wheels of this type are widely used in today's motor vehicles and are therefore generally known. In the event of an impact accident, the airbag, which is arranged in the steering wheel hollow, is intended to be completely inflated if the driver is flung in the direction of the steering wheel, in order to prevent a hard impact against the steering wheel. Cases may, however, arise in which this protective action of the airbag does not occur. For example, this is the case if in an accident there is an initial impact against a first obstacle and then against a further obstacle which finally brings the vehicle to rest. In such a case, the airbag is inflated in the first impact and may already be discharged again by the second impact. Another occurrence which is most unfavorable for the driver is if he sits too close to the steering wheel and impacts against the airbag which is still inflating and at this time is undesirably hard and initially unyielding. It is therefore desirable for the steering wheel to be deformable in the axial direction in order, independently of the airbag, to be able to yield in the axial direction in the event of the driver impacting against the steering wheel.
It is also already known to connect a vehicle steering to a cable mechanism in such a manner that in the event of a frontal impact, the entire steering wheel is displaced in the direction of the dash-board. This reduces the risk of the driver becoming wedged, but mechanisms of this type are very costly and complex and have therefore not been able to be generally used so far.